Please Stay: taking the message out of the concert hall

As part of the choir’s commitment to community-based programming, newVoices is taking the music and the message outside of the concert hall to reach a larger audience this fall. In conjunction with artistic programming, the choir is hosting several public events around the issue of suicide.The St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation is the choir’s education partner and has provided educational information on suicide and suicide prevention for the singers and the community. Community partners and choir leaders want to change perceptions surrounding mental illness and normalize the discussion of suicide in order to prevent suicide. During rehearsals, professionals from Ascension NE Wisconsin - St. Elizabeth Hospital presented programs about recognizing the signs of suicide, regional support services, and support programs that are in use in the school districts.“First and foremost, Ascension is committed to supporting the topic of mental health,” said Tina Lechnir, director of behaviorial Health for  Ascension NE Wisconsin - St. Elizabeth Hospital. “Providing compassionate and personalized care means providing care that treats the whole person-physically, mentally and spiritually. As mental health providers, we teach the importance of emotional regulation. Music provides an outlet and allows a venue to express emotion and we have seen the benefit of music therapy first hand within our hospitals,” she said.October 2, 2018 “End the Stigma and Begin the Conversation,” a community-wide panel discussion on suicide.This event is hosted by community education partner, St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, and will take place from 6:30-8:30. The goal is to address the complexity of suicidal causes, how suicide affects our community, and how care givers are successfully bringing hope, connectedness, social support, resilience, treatment, and recovery to those that need it most. This event will be hosted in the Fowler Conference Rooms at Ascension NE Wisconsin - St. Elizabeth Hospital located at 1506 S. Oneida Street, Appleton. To jumpstart the discussion, newVoices will perform a sneak preview of the October 20 concert with music that captures the pain and suffering of loss, but within a context of great beauty and hope.Monday October 8, 7:30 pm and October 15, 7 pm, FREE screening of the movie “The Ripple Effect.”This film is part of a global mission to help reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts around the world through sharing stories of survival and recovery. The film documents Kevin Hines’ attempted suicide and his journey to better understand the ripple effects his attempt had on his family, friends, and the first responders who helped save him. He’s also working to shine light on inspirational individuals, families, and organizations that are using personal pain to help others find the hope they need to heal. The screening is co-sponsored by Lawrence University and will be held at Warch Campus Center Cinema at 711 E. Boldt Way Appleton.Saturday, October 20, 6:45-7:15 Pre-Concert Discussion, Experts from our educational partner, St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, will hold a discussion prior to the concert about how suicide is affecting our community. You will hear first hand from our local providers how they are successfully bringing hope and support to individuals who need it most. This discussion will be in Room 156, Lawrence University Conservatory of Music (room is located behind the Lawrence Chapel).